Good Vodka

ro1798

hi, started drinking voda properly and looking for good brand vodka, none of the boru or grants or anthing that comes in a naggin

i am drinking Stolichnaya at the moment and like it alot...

some one mentioned grey goose vodka.... this is french anyone ever tasted?

so any advice?

ronan

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Grey Goose is actually made in america, then shipped to france and botled there.

Decent Vodkas include:
Belvedere
Chopin
Skyy
Finlandia
Smirnoff (with the black label, not the red label ****e)

RE*AC*TOR

My favourite is Zubrowka, or bison grass vodka, sometime spelt Dubrowka.

Pronounced Ju-brov-ka.

Polish vodka, with a long blade of bison grass in the bottle. Slighty aromatic flavour. Should be drank with apple juice - but is also fantastic neat.

damonjewel

Basically stick to the real russian brands (stolichnaya and or moskavskaya) put them in the freezer andd get them ice cold, they should not freeze if its a proper vodka and when you pour it will have a higher viscosity than usual and then drink it neat with food. Russian/Ukrainian brands are difficult to get, so I always ask anyone who is going to eastern europe to pick some up for me. I stay clear of western european brands although I have not tried grey goose. Smirnoff black is the best of the western brands. I see a lot of polish vodkas arriving on the market but have not tried them I guess these would be a more truer vodka. Is there any polish guys who can point us in the right direction?

ro1798

a guy in work brough back one of the better polish vodka, but i can remebr the name of it.... had a red and white label... will try and find out the name

i have seen the bison vodka in the airport but thought i was some sort of cheap nasty brand...

the irish off licence sells some reall really ****e vodka... bottled in scotland or somewhere really bad..

why grey goose so expensive? £30 for a bottle up north dont even want to know how much down here


ronan

RE*AC*TOR

Grey goose is about €40 is superquinn anyway.

Try the bison grass. Its not as neutral as other vodkas. I love it though. A lot of the bigger chain off-licences carry it. Should get it for about €25.

boneless

I don't know if it is still available but if you ever see a vodka called Siberiski, buy it!! I got some a number of years back in the Soviet days... it was fantastic.

rugbug86

harvey nicholls food hall in the shop in dundrum has a good selection of vodkas

Blub2k4

If you can get wyborowa in tescos, it's smoother and not as peppery as stolichnaya.

Zybrowka rules with good apple juice as a mixer.

If you want good ones for drinking neat in frozen glasses then Belvedere is really good, but also very expensive at about 40-45 euro a bottle.

Budo.Judo.Kev

sean_keevey wrote:

Grey Goose is actually made in america, then shipped to france and botled there.

Decent Vodkas include:
Belvedere
Finlandia
Smirnoff (with the black label, not the red label ****e)

Seconded.

Budo.Judo.Kev

Blub2k4 wrote:

Zybrowka rules with good apple juice as a mixer.

Howcome this all of a sudden becamse popular?

Budo.Judo.Kev

What the **** is Bison Grass anyway.

Blub2k4

Budo.Judo.Kev wrote:

Howcome this all of a sudden becamse popular?

Possibly since the polish came here and told us how they drink it? That's how I learned about it in any case, from some Poles at work.

Bison grass is just a large grass type that imparts an unusual but pleasant flavour to the vodka.

The vodka is also known as grassovska

happy_acid_face

there's a a polish vodka type spirit in my local off licence called spiritus. the thing is a wooping 95%... good luck to all who drink!

tom_k

One of our polish lads brought me back vodka called Sobieski. Was good. The Zubrowka is good too. A lot of offies are stocking it now.

jakub

Talkin about Polish vodka ..... I would surely recommend Wyborowa, other brands would be Luksusowa, Sobieski is decent as well and Chopin is the top class pure potato vodka but you have to pay for it......In case of flavoured vodkas Żubrówka is definitely top choice,if you ever have a chance try Żołądkowa Gorzka - herbal vodka that has been tested thorougly by myself ....

Theta

If you can afford it splash out and get yourself some Stoli Elit.
Its gonna cost you though...around 90....Looks the dogs bollox aswell

boneless

This thread is bringing back good memories for me... drunken nights in Moscow in the snow... and a lovely weekend in Kracow with a beautiful Polish journalist... oh!! To get those days again!! Thanks Guys!!!

King of Kings

The king raves about Zubrowka.

Does anybody know where to buy it? I get it from a polish mate who brings it from poland when he or hsi mates go home.

I know the celtic whiskey shop sells a 700ml bottle for 30euro.
But apart from that i don't see it in any of teh off licences.

Blub2k4

King of Kings wrote:

The king raves about Zubrowka.

Does anybody know where to buy it? I get it from a polish mate who brings it from poland when he or hsi mates go home.

I know the celtic whiskey shop sells a 700ml bottle for 30euro.
But apart from that i don't see it in any of teh off licences.

I think I've seen it in O'Briens recently.

Theta

McHughs sell it aswell!

damonjewel

I bought a bottle of Zubrowka bison grass yesterday to celebrate the orthodox Christmas and it is by far the best vodka I have tried thats available in Ireland.

29e in Molloys Tallaght. Put it in the freezer for the day, it is very smooth and the herb in it is light and not overpowering.

rubadub

Budo.Judo.Kev wrote:

Howcome this all of a sudden becamse popular?

because it was properly "introduced" to ireland last year. My mate works in a design place and was doing work for it. I discovered Stolichnaya over 10 years ago, my local offy which is really a wine place had it, it was cheaper than smirnoff red at the time and I was sick of the cheapo crap so I gave it a go. Loved the stuff, it was the proper 40% stuff. Stoli was also "introduced" a few years back and dropped to 37.5% and is available everywhere. I remember my sister turning up her nose at stoli since "it couldnt possibly be better than smirnoff (red)" :rolleyes: smirnoff red is the budweiser of vodkas.

I have seen stoli "gold" in obbriens, think it is €30. Smirnoff black is pretty good. Skyy is amazing as a mixer, very smooth with very little taste. Grey goose is good but overpriced IMO, same goes for any over €30, the price cannot be justified, it is not like it is aged like a whiskey, aged whiskey looses its volumes over time and costs money to store, vodkas are just pumped out.

Tesco finest is good value, it is either 43% or 45% which should be taken into account when valuing it. I frind anything under 40% has no bite when drinking neat.

ferdi

rubadub wrote:

I frind anything under 40% has no bite when drinking neat.

lol, you well hard mate!

it may not be fancy and communist but i've always found huzzar very easy to drink

Steak

rugbug86 wrote:

harvey nicholls food hall in the shop in dundrum has a good selection of vodkas

cheers. I'll have to head in soon and grab myself a few bottles of the decent stuff! are they reasonably priced?

tc20

Guys, im more of a whiskey fan now, but did enjoy vodka before i made the jump. Lived and worked in germany for a couple of years, which is where i came across the correct way to drink "white" spirits (lob the bottle and the glasses into the oul' freezer there Heinz). Used to drink Gorbatchow, partly cos of the name, partly the cool bottle (the shoulder of the bottle was not unlike the Onion domes of St Basils in Red Square). Now at the time i wouldnt say i was an aficionado or anysuch, but it tasted good. Came in red, blue and black labels (40, 50 and 60 proof). Was i drinking something decent, or ditchwater? I do remember it did have a distinct taste, not the odorless/tasteless variety i was used to (smirnoff red)

Cheers

Sunny_Dublin

Absolut! Why does nobody mention Absolut?!
Fantastic swedish vodka with a clean crisp taste, also near to no hungover even when drunk in big glasses

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Sunny_Dublin wrote:

Absolut! Why does nobody mention Absolut?!
Fantastic swedish vodka with a clean crisp taste, also near to no hungover even when drunk in big glasses

I'll toast to that. One of these and pint glasses and you've got yourself a party:

Sunny_Dublin

OHHH!! wondering if iwantoneofthose.com sells them....
would look great in my living room

skindub

Zubrowka is great....neat or with apple juice (for the girlies)

But if you really wanna try a fine vodka that you can drink neat try Ciroc http://www.ciroc.com . It is soooo smooth but it is quite expensive, the celtic whiskey shop stock it for €74.99 but you can get it in France or germany for €25 (expensive by European standards). It is the King of Vodkas as fair as I'm concerned.

rubadub

Sunny_Dublin wrote:

Absolut! Why does nobody mention Absolut?!
Fantastic swedish vodka with a clean crisp taste, also near to no hungover even when drunk in big glasses

Normal absolut is nice neat, the citron stuff is even nicer. Absolut is distilled totally clean and neutral, i.e. they separate the heads and tails (nasty stuff that boils off at the start and finish) and keep the good stuff separate. However they then add portions of the "heads" back into the neutral spirit to give it a "bite", this maybe similar to what tc20 said about his vodka not being neutral. This portion is loaded with acetates and other chemicals produced in the brewing process. It can lead to more of a hangover. BUT the flavoured absoluts are made with only the netural, more chemically pure spirit, so not only do they taste nice they should lead to less of a hangover. They want it pure as possible to allow the subtle tastes through. Same goes for most decent liquers. Skyy vodka is the cleanest vodka I have ever tasted, it is american where most drink it mixed, so it is ideal for cocktails, totally netural which allows the fruits to shine, but very bland to drink neat.

rediguana

rugbug86 wrote:

harvey nicholls food hall in the shop in dundrum has a good selection of vodkas

Yeah! I used to work in the Foodmarket there. They have some nice vodkas alright. Try New Zealand's "42 Below" (The name comes from New Zealand's latitude). The brand also comes in innovative flavours - honey, passionfruit, Feijoa (misspelt appallingly) - but also in regular.

February's "Food and Wine" magazine has a special on spirits (Vodka / Gin / Rum) and it reviews a handful of the superpremium vodkas mentioned in this thread.

nikolaitr

One word of warning to people buying Vodka in E Euopre is buy from a reputable place, cause a surprisingly large amount of Vodka is counterfeit.
In Russia the best Vodka is "Russian Standart". It is a fairly internationl company and I'm sure you can get it in the spirit shop on Dawson's street.

Also try Birch Tree Vodka,Its far milder than most and nice to drink neat.

Fransan

Story mate, saw your post about the polish vodka, first came across it in Tokyo and i've been wanting to get hold of a bottle since.
Used to order Spiritus Sunrise's ( tequila substituted )
Knocks the socks off ye and goes down too easy.

Just wondered if you could give me the name o the off licence that sells it? and whether they still sell it or not??

happy_acid_face wrote: »

there's a a polish vodka type spirit in my local off licence called spiritus. the thing is a wooping 95%... good luck to all who drink!

grenache

Holy Thread Resurrection!


Absolut, Finlandia and Russian Standard Platinum ftw by the way!

Frisbee

Zubrowka or Wyborowa Single Estate.

If I'm looking for something nice but not too pricey then Finlandia would be my favourite.

jhonny.mic

boneless wrote: »

I don't know if it is still available but if you ever see a vodka called Siberiski, buy it!! I got some a number of years back in the Soviet days... it was fantastic.

Siberiski is a great vodka. I have tasted it. But it is very rare and it is very difficult to get. Try to taste Siberiski Vodka with a Habanos cigar. You will like the combination.

talisker

there is something to vodka when the weather gets slightly nippy. crack open "the nose" by gogol and sip the following for an authentic experience (don't forget to chill shot glasses in freezer). Belvedere - an astonishing vodka from poland, Grey goose - even if i hate the french, Hangar One - that one u save for yourself, and stolli(stolichnaya) vanil when the frost starts to wear off.

RDM_83

Try Lithuanian and Latvian vodka's any ones I've had over there have been nice ( I believe the Lithuanians claim vodka as their own)
The brand "Lithuania Vodka" is a good inexpensive vodka (sold on Talbot street off-licence, and the gold stuff in my local offy in Derry for £12 ) flavoured versions are also good (apart from cherry but that may be personal taste)
Also very good (possibly more expensive is Stumbras vodka, which has barley grains in the bottle)
LB vodka (from latvia) is decent but IMO not as good as the Lithuanian brands (apart from the cranberry flavour which is very good)

Kintarō Hattori

Having been going to Poland back and forth for the last few years with the missus I've slowly been building up a collection of Polish vodka's. This is how it stands at the moment. It would have been larger but she would only let me take back 2 bottles this time around!






http://www.flickr.com/photos/liamandagnieszka/4029185479

mariemc82

Hi all,

I work with Grey Goose and just to set the record straight, Grey Goose is made in Cognac, France. For centuries, The world's most respected experts in spirit distillation have practiced their craft there, drawn by its climate and growing conditions.

The Grey Goose Maître de Chai or cellar master, Francois Thibault, has taken this knowledge to a new level in producing the world’s best tasting vodka, Grey Goose. He chooses the finest French wheat and makes sure every element of production is of the highest quality. Grey Goose goes through a five-step distillation process and is blended with pure spring water that is naturally filtered through Grand Champagne limestone.

It's here that the magic happens and what makes Grey Goose vodka incomparably smooth and decidedly well rounded, making it remarkably unlike any other vodka in the world.

Thanks

Marie

biko

Is it true that the name Grey Goose comes from a wine that Sidney Frank had the rights to?

Thomas_S_Hunterson

mariemc82 wrote: »

Hi all,
I work with Grey Goose and just to set the record straight, Grey Goose is made in Cognac, France.

For centuries, The world's most respected experts in spirit distillation have practiced their craft there, drawn by its climate and growing conditions.

Yes. They make a drink called Cognac. From grapes. Not Grey Goose.

lubie76

I used to bartend in New York about 8 years ago and Ketel One vodka is what all the cool kids drank. I'm not a vodka drinker myself but it tasted really nice neat, not so good in mixed drinks and cocktails except for a Bloody Mary from what I remember.

Couldn't believe it when I came home and done a bit of bartending in Dublin when people just asked for a vodka without specifying a brand. Huzzars all around then. Yum!

54kroc

Sean_K wrote: »

Yes. They make a drink called Cognac. From grapes. Not Grey Goose.

He didn't say they made if from Cognac he said it's made in Cognac.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

cork45 wrote: »

He didn't say they made if from Cognac he said it's made in Cognac.

Oh I know, but there was an obvious implication in the marketing spiel that because the drink is made in Cognac, it is made by the most "respected experts in spirit distillation".

Vodka is a neutral spirit. It doesn't need to be aged in cellars or anything like that. They could just as easily do as Skyy do (buy bulk ethanol and dilute it).

Grey Goose relocating production to France appears to be something of a marketing exercise.

Crossman

grenache wrote: »

Holy Thread Resurrection!


Absolut, Finlandia and Russian Standard Platinum ftw by the way!

Agree..